Liaison Associate to the Government Taskforce

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering the post of Liaison Associate to the Coordination Task Force on the Ukraine Situation of the Bulgarian Government.

The Coordination Task Force was established following Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 - adopted by the Council of the European Union on 4 March 2022 - establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection and Decision No 144 of the Council of Ministers on granting temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine in order to coordinate the response of the Bulgarian government to the situation of mass influx including policy, legislation and practical measures. Cooperation with various stakeholders, including in particular civil society, is essential for the successful implementation of these measures. The position would offer an opportunity to support the efforts to guarantee appropriate reception and integration of Ukrainian refuges by coordinating the cooperation with European, national and local government institutions and civil society actors so as to ensure coherent and consistent response across various sectors and effective and efficient use of resources

Title: Liaison Associate

Duty Station: Sofia

Duration: three months

Contract Type: full time

Closing date: 2 August 2022

Start date: 9 August 2022

The position

Working directly under the Head of the Taskforce, the Liaison Associate will contribute to ensuring appropriate reception and integration of Ukrainian refuges by coordinating the cooperation with European, national and local government institutions and civil society actors so as to facilitate coherent and consistent response across various sectors and services (e.g. accommodation, healthcare, education, social assistance etc) and effective and efficient use of resources

Duties and responsibilities

• Liaise regularly with the Working Groups established under the taskforce, provide feedback to the Head of the Taskforce, including identified gaps, and good practices and disseminate information
• Organize regular meetings and exchanges with civil society, discuss identified gaps and recommendations how to address them, including mobilizing the capacity of civil society actors
• Liaise with EU institutions to provide responses to queries and seek information on good practices in reception and integration, as well as available funding mechanisms
• Liaise with local and regional government representatives to discuss challenges and appropriate responses including strengthening integration
• Providing any other required support

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required

The ideal candidate will:

• Possess a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Have excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Be fluent in Bulgarian with excellent writing and editing skills. Excellent knowledge of English is essential.
• Have prior experience of working in a position requiring coordination and liaison with various stakeholders including civil society. Knowledge of government internal procedures and experience of working for the national or local government is a distinct advantage
• Have good experience using the Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Be highly organised and have good attention to detail.
• Be able to multi-task and to prioritise workload.
• Be a flexible, team-player
• Experience of working on refugee issues is desirable but not essential

Location

The successful candidate will be based with the taskforce in Sofia.

Conditions

The contract is initially for three months and the start date is 9 August 2022. It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 8.30 am to 5pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week). Salary: 2000 BGN per month.

To apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and detailed resume, using the P11 standardized application form in English or Bulgarian, with copies of only the relevant certificates/diplomas by email to: [email protected] or by mail to the following address: Sofia 1000, 2 Pozitano Sq, UNHCR Representation in Bulgaria.

Closing date of applications: 2 August 2022

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).